THE AUK: 



A C^U ARTERL Y J OURNAL O F 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



vol. xni. April, 1896. no. 2, 



ON THE FLORIDA GROUND OWL (SPEOTYTO FLORI- 

 DA NA ). 



By WILLIAM PALMER. 



Plate II 



Unique, even among the many unfamiliar birds that a northern 

 visitor sees in Florida, it is not strange that this bird should be 

 always known, wherever it is found, by the distinctive appellation 

 that I have used above and not by the usual book name of Bur- 

 rowing Owl. 



The habitat of the species lies some distance off the usual course 

 of tourist travel, and to visit their haunts one has to tramp many 

 miles over otherwise very uninviting prairie ; thus few visitors to 

 Florida have ever seen the birds, and even among the residents 

 very little information can be obtained regarding its distribution 

 and habits. 



The Ground Owl is found in varying degrees of abundance 

 throughout the central prairie portion of the southern half of the 

 State, from Lake Kissimmee southward through the Kissimmee 

 Valley. Westward its range extends as far as the prairies 

 allow, even in the southwestern portion, to the vicinity of salt 

 water. In some localities they are quite common, while elsewhere, 



